


In These Halls

by peachykory



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Mild Smut, draco cant stop thinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-24 09:15:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21335824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachykory/pseuds/peachykory
Summary: Draco isn't sure who to believe after the death of Cedric Diggory. Dumbledore says that he's back, but he doesn't trust a word that comes out of that old man's mouth. His father isn't speaking to him about the matter and his mother refuses to acknowledge it. However - Draco knows something bad is happening. He can feel it deep in his gut.





	In These Halls

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sitting on this idea for a while of following Draco from the end of book 4 on. I hope you all enjoy.

The rumors started to spread quickly. It was no surprise to Draco how fast they came about after what had happened the night before at the last tournament. It was certainly unexpected. He knew there was a risk of someone being severely injured or possibly killed, but never in a million years did he think it would happen. He despised potter more than anyone but seeing him lying across Cedric's body holding him in his arms was enough to even make Draco speechless for once. No one was certain how Cedric had died. Many were just repeating what they heard in the halls or common rooms. _"You-Know-Who did it, that's who." _He heard a fifth-year girl say in the common room late the night before. _"I heard Potter say it myself, I did." _Draco could roll his eyes at that all day long. There was no way in hell _he_ was back. He couldn't be. 

The thought alone made his skin crawl. Surely his father would have known about his return if it were true. Lucius had usually told Draco everything. He even told him about the TriWizard Tournament last summer when he wasn't supposed to. However, he never mentioned anything about the Dark Lord returning to Draco. Not an owl or anything. No mention of a plan either. Unless he had not known, of course. He could imagine his father finding out the news. How shocking that would be. Draco couldn't help but think if his father was there when Cedric had died. 

Draco couldn't imagine what life would be like if the Dark Lord had returned. When he had asked about life before the fall of darkness his mother told him it was nothing a young boy should know of. That, however, did not stop his father from telling him a few tales from his time as a Death Eater. Draco was so entranced by his stories that they almost felt like something wonderful he wanted to experience. Having so much power over mudbloods, blood traitors, and muggles was appealing to Draco. He had always known deep down that if the Dark Lord had indeed returned to them it would mean following in his father's footsteps. He wasn't sure if he was prepared for that, though. But he knew he had to be. 

He shook his head. "Don't be thinking those things, Draco." He muttered to himself. There was no proof that he was back. For all, he knew Potter could have been lying for attention. He didn't doubt that for a bit. There was nothing the golden boy wouldn't do to be the center of attention. 

Draco threw the rest of his clothing into his trunk not even bothering to fold it neatly. He knew his mother would scorn him over it but at the moment he didn't care. He just wanted to get out of this wretched school for the summer. 

The Hogwarts Express departed the next day and Draco couldn't be any happier. His family had planned a summer holiday to a private beach and he couldn't think of any better way to relax and forget about the previous school year than relaxing by the ocean in the white sand. The summer holiday was something he looked forward to every year. His father would take a month off of work and his mother would choose the location. Last summer they had gone to Greece. 

Those fond memories were pushed away as he heard a voice behind him. "Draco, are you coming?" 

He turned to face the tall boy standing across the room from him, a questioning look on his face. Blaise. He had Draco had been friends for years now. Their mothers got along quite well and they had attended many parties together. Though, they had never been the closest. Draco had liked Blaise. He was far more tolerable than the two bumbling idiots Crabbe and Goyle. "Where to?" Draco questioned unsure of what he was going on about. 

"Professor Dumbledore just announced for all students and staff to meet in the great hall. Probably something to do with what happened..." He trailed off. 

He must have missed that announcement while letting his mind wander. That was honestly the last place he wanted to be at this moment. Surrounded by the entire school while Dumbledore went on about Cedric's death. It was not a memory he wanted to be reminded of constantly. That was the first time Draco had seen a real dead body. Not just a picture in some book. He could still remember the limp body Potter laid across. The cold dead eyes that stared into nothingness. It was only for a moment but the image would be burned into his mind forever. Draco had a feeling deep down in his gut that this would not be that last he would see. 

\- 

The great hall was silent for once. Students weren't even so much as whispering to one another as Dumbledore rose from his chair to speak. Draco had tuned him out not wanting to hear any more of it. What was the point anyways? He thought to himself. Cedric was dead. They knew that. They had all seen it. He just wanted to get back to packing and daydreaming about the sandy white beaches. 

He looked around the room at all the faces of the other students. Grim expressions on all of them. Each one focused on Dumbledore and every word he spoke. 

"...Cedric Diggory was murdered..." This caught Draco's attention. He looked up at the headmaster and straightened up. He was hoping this would put an end to the rumors of You-Know-Who being back once and for all. That Dumbledore would say Cedric died by some other reason that Draco couldn't think of at the moment. Anything else. "...by Lord Voldemort." He could hear soft gasps from the crowd around him. A shiver crept up his spine. Just hearing that name made him flinch. Not even his father - a loyal follower - spoke his name so boldly. It was taboo. 

The room went blank around him. Everything looked hazy like a fog had suddenly lifted in the room. He couldn't focus on the words coming out of Dumbledore's mouth. A loud noise was ringing in his ears. 

As the students and staff were leaving the great hall - Draco had just sat there. He ignored Pansey's attempt to get him to come with her back to the dorms. He just needed a moment to think. Nothing was making sense. Most of the hall was cleared by the time he had looked up again. He found Dumbledore's eyes filled with concern. There was nothing more Draco had hated than someone feeling pity for him. Especially someone he thought lesser of. How dare that old man look at him like that. Draco had scoffed, his eyes rolling to the back of his head and exited the hall in a huff. 

The halls were filled with students heading back to their dorms. All of them talking in hushed tones about you-know-who being back. It was driving Draco mad. He still wasn't too sure whether to believe it or not. The shock of hearing the headmaster say those words was enough to make even the biggest doubter believe for a moment. But how could he ever trust a word coming out of that blood traitor's mouth? Dumbledore always believed everything Potter had said. He probably did not even check to make sure he was telling the truth. 

This made Draco angry. This was not something he was going to take lightly. He wasn't just going to believe their headmaster because he said so. This made him even more determined to get back home. His father would know id he was back or not. He would tell him the truth once and for all. 

Draco marched down the stairs towards their dormitory in the dungeons. He was looking down at his feet when he bumped into some first-year boy. "Idiot, watch where you're going!" He barked at the now trembling boy. 

"Mr. Malfoy." A cool voice appeared behind him. He would know that voice from anywhere. Professor Snape. Draco turned to face him. His nerves calmed only slightly to seeing his favorite teacher. 

"Professor?" 

"Might I have a word with you in my office?" He asked, no sense of emotion on his face. Draco couldn't read him one bit. He knew what this was about, though. Dumbledore had probably said something to Snape about him being off. 

Draco followed Snape into his office and plopped down on one of the leather chairs. He was comfortable in this room. He spent many hours in this office with and without Snape doing his schoolwork, studying, or sometimes just sitting there to get away from everyone. Snape had never once complained about Draco being in his office. They both would keep to themselves not even saying hello or goodbye to one another. It was nice. It was something he could never do with his father back home. Lucius had always made Draco leave his study even if he was just sitting there quietly watching him work. _"Too distracting." _He would say when Draco asked why. 

"Have I done something wrong?" Draco asked as Snape sat at his desk across from him. He suddenly felt like a small child being punished for eating sweets before supper. 

"Would you care to explain why you yelled at a first-year when you walked into them? Or the sudden mood swings you have expressed in the last thirty minutes alone?" Snape asked, his eyebrows raised in question. "Surely there must be a reason, no?"

Draco did not reply right away. He didn't know how to answer that question. How could he? He was still a child in everyone's eyes. He had no right being involved in adult business. However, he needed to know. "Is it true?" He asked quietly. His voice was so small that not even he recognized it at first. He looked down, fidgeting with his hands. "Is what he said true about _him_?" 

Snape did not answer. He stared down at Draco. The younger looked back up at him the same expressionless face he couldn't read was looking him in the eyes. "Perhaps you should go finish packing, Draco." 

-

"Maybe you shouldn't have said that stuff about Cedric, eh?" Crabbe said to Draco as they settled back into their compartment. They just had a squabble with Potter and his friends down the train that ended with some nasty jinxes fired their way. Perhaps Draco shouldn't have said anything Cedric, but he would never admit he was wrong. Especially to Crabbe of all people. 

"Shut it, Crabbe." Draco stared out the window a the land moving by quickly. He didn’t want to talk to anyone else on this train ride home. He didn't hate Cedric. He was just angry and confused. Pushing Potter's buttons was the only way he could make himself feel happy even if it were for a few moments. He was just ready to be back home in his queen-sized bed and have a room all to himself again. And more importantly, he was excited to see his mother again. Writing her just wasn't the same. He had not seen her over the holiday as the Yule Ball was taking place and as much as would have rather of been home instead - he knew his mother would have preferred him there. 

His father was another story. He had missed him and loved him dearly, that much was true. Still, they didn't have the bond that he and his mother had. That did not mean that Lucius had taken no time with Draco it just meant he had taken far less time than his mother had. He wasn't sure if that would change now or not. If the world really was going back to the dark ages he doubted his father would have much time for him now. 

Draco let out a sigh. He leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes. As he fell asleep he dreamt of a dark-cloaked figure wandering the halls of his family home. 

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr - vexingdead
> 
> come chat!


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